Employment Opportunities

Postdoctoral fellowship positions (full time)

The Mississippi Center for Heart Research is recruiting for multiple immediate postdoctoral fellow positions in either the pre-faculty or pre-industry categories. Our center is dedicated to performing cardiovascular research that involves: 1) developing multidimensional approaches to examine the mechanisms whereby the cardiovascular system responds to stress or injury; 2) applying the knowledge gained to develop therapeutic strategies to prevent, slow, or reverse the progression of cardiovascular disease; 3) disseminating our results to scientific, medical, and general communities and educating new generations of cardiovascular scientists; and 4) educating the next generation of scientists.

Candidates (MD and/or PhD) must have solid experience with contemporary techniques, preferably with emphasis in cardiovascular physiology. Expertise with rodent cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, proteomics, cell and molecular biology, cell metabolism, or computational biology approaches is preferred. Suitable candidates must also have excellent organizational and communication skills, be enthusiastic about their work, and be highly motivated to succeed. Positions are available in the laboratories of the following principal investigators:

• Michael E. Hall, MD: conducting clinical and translational studies to better understand heart failure. We use state-of-the-art imaging methods in obese humans to determine the mechanisms that link increased renal sinus fat to kidney dysfunction and hypertension. We also evaluate proteomics in plasma samples from humans following myocardial infarction. Our research is providing the necessary tools to translate basic pathophysiologic mechanisms into potential prevention and treatment strategies for treating obesity associated hypertension, renal injury and myocardial infarction.
• Yingjie Chen, PhD:  laboratory has had a longstanding interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms of Heart Failure (HF) development and the transition from left heart failure to right heart failure (HF progression). One of my research focuses is the role and mechanism of T cell activation in heart and lung inflammation, and HF progression. We have demonstrated activated T cells are dramatically increased in lung tissues of HF animals, and inhibition of T cell activation or induction of endogenous T regulatory cells are both effective in attenuating HF development and HF progression. We also showed that increased lung inflammation by air pollution without affecting LV function profoundly exacerbated HF progression, indicating lung inflammation can independently exacerbate HF progression. In addition, my team and I have made a number of very exciting new findings regarding the essential role of DDAH1 in degrading endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor ADMA. We also demonstrated the important roles of iNOS, PDE5, AMPK, adenosine kinase, and adenosine receptors in heart failure development. My overall goal is to understand the poor prognosis of HF and identify new targets and methods for treating or halting HF progression.
• Ji Li, PhD, FAHA: Postdoctoral fellow and graduate student positions are available in the Dr. Ji Li’s Laboratory of Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mississippi Center for Heart Research, University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Li’s Lab focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cardiovascular dysfunction associated with ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiorenal syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, and identification of novel therapeutic targets to counteract these pathologies. The candidate will work on scientific projects exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of cardiac dysfunction of various etiology, developing new animal models of cardiomyopathies and neurodegenerative pathology, and in testing novel therapeutic agents in these disorders. We are seeking an outstanding young investigators and trainees to lead project on identifying and validating novel translationally relevant physiological endpoints in preclinical heart failure and neurodegenerative disease models. This is an exciting opportunity to work on complex measures of pathophysiology and disease progression in preclinical models of heart failure and neurodegenerative disease, and how these measurements can be used as preclinical prognostic biomarkers to aid the evaluation of novel targets against heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease related dementia. The prospective post-doctoral fellows and graduate students will be responsible in independently designing and performing pioneering experiments under supervision of the mentor. The candidate will present research work internally as well as at external scientific conferences and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals. We are looking for a candidate with a research interests in cardiovascular physiology and/or neuroscience join the fully collaborative team to advance your future scientific career. 

Our laboratories are located in the Arthur C. Guyton Research Building. The selected candidates will receive training in a highly collaborative environment and state-of-the-art facilities. Salaries are competitive, and there is an opportunity to advance to a faculty position. Applicants should send a cover letter including a brief statement of research interests and career goals, curriculum vitae, and the names of three references to Courtney Graham.

All postdoctoral appointments are designated as security-sensitive positions.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center is an 
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